1. Field of the Invention
Devices, systems, and methods consistent with the invention relate to a scalpel blade handle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of scalpel blade handles have been developed for surgical applications (e.g., veterinary and human surgery). One example is the Parker-Kerr scalpel blade handle, which has a simple handle with a clip at one end that holds a replaceable scalpel blade.
However, these tools are deficient in some respects. For example, in small animal medicine, surgery often involves operation on patients less that 10 kg that lack substantial intra-abdominal fat. When performing procedures such as laparotomies (or other abdominal surgeries where the abdomen must be entered through a ventral midline incision) on these patients, there is potential for injury to the patient unless the scalpel user is very careful.
More specifically, a traditional technique for these procedures is to tent (i.e., pinch) the area of the desired incision using forceps (or the surgeon's thumb and forefinger), and to then apply pressure using a standard scalpel blade handle to make an incision through the linea alba. Unfortunately, in small animals where the intra-abdominal fat pad is not well developed, excessive downward pressure may result in inadvertent trauma to vital abdominal organs (e.g., the jejunum, which lies very close to the linea alba in small animals). Such trauma to internal organs during the entry procedure raises morbidity and mortality risks.
In addition, this traditional technique is inefficient because it requires the use of two different instruments to make the initial intra-abdominal incision—the scalpel blade and forceps (or the surgeon's thumb and forefinger). This is both inefficient and awkward for the surgeon.
Similar problems are also found in human surgeries, where the same risk factors apply. These risks are especially pronounced in emaciated, geriatric, or neonatal humans which, like small animals, have very little intra-abdominal fat to protect internal organs and internal organs.
Thus, injury to vital internal structures is a serious concern to the operating surgeon using a traditional scalpel blade handle. This demands an improvement in the related art system.